Multineedle sewing machine



Oct. 28, 1941. H. KIBITZ ET'AL MULTINEEDLE SEWING' MACHINE W K W @m 05 WW v lwm w m5 9 OP w m if s as Filed Aug. 1, 1958 Oct. 28, 1941. H. KlB-ITZ ETAL MULTINEEDLE SEWING' MACHINE Filed'Aug. l, 1938 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 HDOLP/I CI Juan b JOSEPH PV. OROLL mwazy Oct. 28, 1941. H. KlBlTZ ETAL 2,260,382

MULTINEEDLE SEWING MACHINE Filed Aug. 1, 1938 7 Sheets- Sheet 5 k 1 Q9 2O JOSEPH W D/FOLL 1941- H. KIBITZ ETAL MULTINEEDLE SEWING" MACHINE Filed Aug. 1, 1938 v Sheets-Sheet 4 H. KlBlTZ ETAL MULTINEEDLE SEWINQMACHINE Oct. 28, 1941.

Filed Au 1, 1938 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 JOSEPH W. DROL L J W Tm m may Z m m m m Q% M QN I?! N -Y\ m NS HMS Q E; -wfi W h w r m W Q g Q N ll 11 l 4 um m mw 3 Em J mm aw Q kw MW QQQI,

Oct. 28, 1941.

Filed Aug. 1, 1938 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Oct. 28, 1941. H. KIBITZ ET-AL 2,260,382

MULTINEEDLE SEWING: MACHINE v I Filed Aug. 1, 1938 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 fakeifirs Hum 6. Jun/W 6 Jose-P 7K 0ROLL Patented Oct. 28, 1941 MULTINEEDLE SEWING MACHINE.

Harold Kibitz, Adolph C. Suchy, and Joseph W. Droll, Chicago, 111., assignors to J. W. Droll Company, Chicago, Ill., a ccrporaticnof Delaware Application August 1, 1938, Serial No. 222,400

2 Claims.

The invention relates to multi-needle sewing machines of the looper-type which are adapted to form a double lock stitch, for'stitching designs in the borders of mattresses, and are adapted to stitch varying designs in the border. For that purpose, it is necessary to'vary'the relative movements of the work and the stitching mechanism in different directions.

One-object of the invention is to provide a stitching mechanism of the looper-type, which is adapted to sew different designs on the mattressborder produced by varying the relative movements in different directions of the work and the loopers and needles of the stitching mechanism.

-Other objects .of the invention will appear from the detail description.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a plan, parts being broken away, of .a machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2is a rear elevation, parts being shown in section. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a is a section on line [0-40 of Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is a perspective illustrating a needle and looper after the needle'has passed through'the work and the looper is raised. Fig. 12 is a similar View illustrating'the' looper while'itiis entering the loop of the needle-thread on the right side of the needle. I

Fig. 13 isa similar view illustrating the needle Withdrawn 'from the work and the retainer engaging the looper-thread and the loop of the needle-thread around thelooper before the .needle is passed through the work. Fig. 14 is a front elevation of the retaining device for the looper and needle-threads while it is forming the thread-triangle and deflecting the previouslyformed loop of'needle-thread. Figs. 15,16, 17, 18 and 19 are diagrammatic views of the needle, looper and retainer illustrating their successive positions during the stitching. Fig. 2l0 is a detail perspective of the devicefor axially shifting the shaft which shifts the looper-carrying shaft.

The machine exemplifying the invention is right side for a needle-thread a; a series ofarcuate loopers 26 adapted to enact with the needles, respectively, eachbeing provided with asguidekfi and an eye 2% for a looper-thread b; a loopersupporting bar 2? which is fixedly mounted on a shaft 28 which is pivotally movable to swing theloopers vertically and is laterally reciprocable to shift the loopers from one side of the needles to the other to produce double locking stitches; and 'a'series of retainersSD which coact with 'the loopers and needles, respectively, and are mountedon-a frame 29 which is movable in a circular path to correspondingly operate the retainers so that a. triangle of'the looper-thread will be maintained for the passage of the needle, and so that the locking loops of the looper-thread will be successively released when they areto be stripped from the needle-and the looper.

The machine comprises relatively movable stitching mechanism and work-holdingmeans to adapt the machine to stitch various designs in the Work, such as a mattress-borderQS, byrelative vertical or lateral movements or by compounding such movements. In themachine i1- lustrated the work is illustrated as movable relatively to the stitching mechanism but it willbe understood that the'invention may be embodied in a machinein which one of the relative movements may be effected by shifting the stitching mechanism relatively to thework. Themeans for carrying and moving the work comprises a carriage which is guided on the frame 20 to move laterally to eiiect the lateral movements of the work relatively to the stitching mechanism, and a pair of feed-rolls 23, 24 which are supported by, and movable laterally with, the carriage and are adapted to advance the work vertically through'the machine By selectively varying the lateral strokesof the work-carriage and the feedstrokes of the feed-rolls, or by compounding the lateral and feed-strokes, any desired variation of the designsof the stitching may be effected.

In the drawings only a single needle and looper are illustrated for clearness because the needles are alike in construction and operation and are similarly mounted on the head 2 I' and the loopers are alike in construction and are similarly bracket. 31, which is fixed to frame 20 and to which pulley 34 is fixed; a beveled gear 36 fixed to the rear end of shaft 33; a countershaft 38 journaled in brackets 39, 39 ,39 which are fixed on frame 20; and a beveled gear 40 fixed to shaft 38 and meshing with and driven by gear 36.

fixed to the outer end of shaft 38 and pitmen 44 which are operated by said crankpins and conthe needle-thread loop on the right side of the needle to draw a loop of the needle-thread off the needle when the latter is retracted.

Each retainer 30 comprises a shank having an inclined terminal 39 for engaging the looper and needle threads. The shank of each retainer 30 is fixedly secured in an arm I22 which is adjustably secured by a screw I23 to a frame I24 (Fig. 5) so the retainers may be properly timed and adjusted. Mechanism for shifting frame I24 and the retainers 30 comprises a bar I25 (Fig. 5) fixed nected to reciprocate rods M and head 2|. Each I needle is supplied with a thread 'a from a source of supply, such as a spool. E'ach thread is subjected to tension, as well understood in the art, and directed by a guide a to the groove in the leftside of the needle 22 from which it passes through the eye 22 of the needle. 1

Each looper-thread b is drawn from a suitable supply, such as a spool, and passes through a suitable tension-device II1 to a guide II8, from which it is directed to the guide 26 in the looper and thence to the looper-eye 26 in the outer endof the looper from which it passes to the work.

The mechanism for oscillating shaft 28 .to swing bar 21 which carries the loopers 26, comprises a gear I02 (Fig. 1) fixed to rotate with countershaft 39; a gear I03 meshing with gear v I02; ashaft I04 to which gear I03 is fixed and which is journaled'in brackets 39, 39 39'; a crank I06 (Figs. 1 and 7) fixed to shaft l04j a link I01 operated by said crank; an arm I08 operated by said link and fixed to a shaft I09, which'is journaled in bracket 39*; an arm IIO fixed toshaft I09; a link II1, operated by arm H0; and an arm I'I2 fixed to shaft 28 which carries the loop-supporting bar 21. This mechanism rocks the loopers to cause them to pass the looper-thread around the needles and through loops of the'heedle-thread. Each looper 26 is fixed to a block 26 which is adjustably secured in bar 21, so the spacing between the needles and the loopers can be adjusted. Bar 21 is secured by clamps 21 to looper-shaft 28 so the pivotal stroke of the loopers may be timed with respect to-the needle-strokes. 1

Axial reciprocatory strokes are imparted to the looper-carrying shaft 28 and bar 21 to move the loopers 26 from one side'of the needles to the other in forming double lock stitches with the loop-threads. The mechanism for reciprocating shaft 28 comprises an eccentric I I3 (Figs. 1 and 3) fixed to one end of shaft I04; an arm II4 operated by said eccentric; and'a bell-crank lever II5 which is pivoted on bracket'39 and provided with a horizontal arm adapted to be rocked vertically and a vertical arm connected by a link I I6 to one end of shaft 28. A swivel connection is provided between shaft I09 and link-H6 which permits said shaft to rotate independently of the link. This connection comprises a sleeve 200 fixed to shaft I09 and a member 20I which has one of its "ends pivoted to link '6 and its other to frame I24 and suspended from sleeves I26 which are simultaneously operated by eccentrics I21 on shafts'l28 which are mounted in brackets 39. Each shaft I28 is driven by a toothed gear I29 fixed thereto and a gear I30 on the shaft I04. The eccentrics I21 are rotated simultaneously in the same direction to move the retainer-frame I24 and the retainers 30 in a circular path.

The padded mattress border 25 is guided vertically between a plate 49 (Figs. 1 and 4) which is fixed to brackets 39, 39 39 and a yielding pressure-plate 50 which is carried by the needlehead 2I and is secured to rods 5| which are slidably mounted and have a limited movement in said head. A compression spring 53 is applied to force plate '50 against the border during the strokes of the needles through the work and to release the border when the needles are withdrawn therefrom and during the vertical and lateral movements of the work relatively to the needles. I

The laterally slidably carriage for the feed-rolls and the work comprises brackets 55 (Figs. 2 and 4) and shaft 56 and rod 51 which are slidably mounted in the supporting-frame 20. Horizontal guide-plates 46 (Fig; 4) and 41 for the work are carried by an angle-bar 16 which is fixed to brackets 55 to move the work laterally with the feed-rolls. Springs 48 are applied to plate 41 to press the work against the plate 46. The feedrolls are adapted to advance the work vertically past the stitching mechanism and are mounted in the laterally movable. carriage so that the work will be moved laterally with the carriage and can be advanced by the feed-rolls during the lateral movements of the carriage.

The mechanism for shifting the work-carriage laterally to produce a design of stitching in the border is driven from shaft 38 and comprises a cam 11. The contour of the periphery of the cam controls the intermittent lateral strokes of the carriage. By substituting cams of different shapes, the length of the lateral strokes may be varied relatively to the feed-strokes imparted to the work for variations in the design. Cam 11 is fixed to a shaft 16 (Figs. 2i and 4) which is journaled in brackets 19 supported from frame 20. P/ollers 11 engage the opposite sides of the periphery of cam 11 and are mounted in arms 11 which are fixed to shaft 56. to reciprocate said shaft from said cam. The gearing for driving cam 11 comprises a cam 89 (Fig. 4) fixed to countershaft 38; an arm 86 fulcrumed at 61 and engaged by cam 89; a roller 88 carried by lever 86; a vertically slidable plunger 85, the upper end of which is engaged by roller 86 and an arm 84 for operatinga one-way clutch to operate gearing for rotating cam 11 step-by-step. Arm 84 is fixed to a sleeve 83 which is rotatable on a shaft 82 (Fig. 8). The one-way clutch comprises a clutch-drum provided with ratchet clutchfaces 96 and rollers 94 engaged by sleeve 83 and adapted to couple sleeve 83 and drum 95 for stepby-step rotation, in one direction. A pinion 8| is fixed to shaft 32 and drives a-gear 80 which is fixed to shaft 18 to which cam 17 is replaceably secured. The retractile strokes are impart- 'ed to arm 84 by a spring :9! betweensaid arm and the supporting-frame. venting overthrow during the retractile strokes of arm '84 comprises an arm I 00 which is adapted to engage a .part of bracket 19, a sleeve 99 to which arm I00 is fixed, and a one=way -clutch which is reverse in its action from the clutch '94, 95 and comprises rollers 97 engageable by sleeve '99 and .clutch surfaces 98 on drum 95. When arm lftflstrikes bracket 19, clutch 91,98 will become effective to prevent further'rotation of .shaft 82 and the gearing driven thereby for;

rotating cam 11. A friction-band IOI is adapted to engage a brake-drum I02 'whichis fixed to clutch-drum 95. A spring lBZis applied to press brake-band l0! against drum I02 to retardthe movements of the drum for causingtherollers engaged thereby to bequickly shifted into clutching positions.

Work feed-roll 23 (Fig. 4) is vjournaled in closed bearings at the upperends of brackets 55 of the work carriage. step-by-step to advance the border 25 between the needle-strokes by a cam 58 fixed oncountershaft 38; .an arm 59 (Fig. .7) having-a roller 68 engageable .by said cam; a shaft .6! slidably mounted in .the supporting-frame and to which arm 59 is fixedyan-armBZ fixed to shaft 6l;:a link .63; a pivotedarmzfil which carries aspringpressed pawl 65; a ratchet-wheel 66 pivotally supported on bracket 55; a pinion -6! fixed to rotate with ratchet-wheel 66 and a gear .68 fixed to roll 23 and engaging pinion Bl. Roller '60 :is movable across the face of cam 58 to permit the driving mechanism for roll 23 to move laterally with the roll when. it is shifted to move the work laterally of the sewing mechanism. Feed-roll r is driven from roll 23 (Fig. 3) by a sprocket-wheel E9 fixed to roll 23, a sprocketachain H1 driven by sprocket 69 and engaging an idler-roll H and a sprocket-wheel '12 fixed to roll 24 and engaged by a chain 10. and arm -64.is adjustable to vary the length1of eachstroke of arm 64 and correspondingly vary the feed-strokes of the feed-rolls. Thereby'the vertical movements of the work can be varied relatively to its lateral movements, for changes I in the design of the stitching.

Roll 24 is 'journaled in forked bearings in brackets 55 and is pressed against the work by levers 13 which are engaged by springs 14 and provided with screws 15 which engage the shaft of roll 24.

In the machine the stitching mechanisms may be arranged in rows one above the other, as illustrated in Fig. 5, so that the seams produced by one row of needles may intersect the seams of the other row. The entire series of needles, loopers and retainers are similarly operated to coact with one another, respectively, and, therefore, the description of a single stitching mechanism is applicable to all.

The operation of the machine will be as follows: the needle-thread a is threaded through needle-eye 22 and secured in the work and the looper-thread b is secured in the work and threaded through guide 26* and eye 26 of the looper; the point of the needle will be passed through the Work and to project from the front thereof while the looper 26 is lowered and at the right of the needle. Next, the needle will be slightly retracted to spread the right side of the A device for pre- Feed-roll 23 is operated The connection between link 63 needleethread. away from theneedle foritherpa'ssagemff the :looperbetween the right side of'the needle and the". needle-thread. Next, the :looper .will be raised, operated laterally to the. right and rocked "downwardly to pass the looper-thread between ithe work and thelooper-eye, between the right'side of the needleand the needle-thread, as illustrated in Fig. 15. .:Next, .th needle will be :retracted through the work and a "loop .of the lneedle thread will be formed .around the looperandthe looper-thread ibetween theloopereye rand-the work will extend through the loop of :needle-threadin .the looper, according to .the design .of stitching desired. While the needle .is withdrawn thework will be shifted laterally. and advanced vertically, When the work is shifted laterallyto .therleft, the looper-thread, where it isattached to the work, will movetoward theleft with-the .work, thus Ftending to prevent the production .of, or .:to narrow, the thread-triangle for th succeeding pass of the needle. Terminalilll of :the retainer engages the looper-thread between the workand the looper-eye and also engages the loop of theneedle-thread on thelooper andpresses them upwardly and to the right of thelooper, thereby forming a thread-triangle-for the needle at the right of the needle and holding the loop .of the needle-thread clear of the needle, as illustrated in Fig. .16. The looper is then moved to the left while the retainer 30 is moving to the right and the thread-triangle is main- .tained. Next, the needle is pushed through the work while the looper is lowered and through the looper-thread triangle, asillustrated in Fig. 1'7. At this time the retainer, in its circular movement, has cleared the path for the needle. Next, the looper is raised to clear'the needle, shifted laterally to the right of the needle, thereby passing the looper-thread around the needle. The needle is slightly retracted to loosen the needle-thread at the right of the needle between the needle-eye and the work and the looper is lowered, as illustrated in Fig. 18, to form a loop of thelooper-thread around the needle .andto pass the looper-thread between the looper-eye and the work throughithe loop of needle-thread on the-rightside of the needle. .The needle is then retracted. Upon retraction of the needle, the loop of looper-thread which has been lapped around the needle, isdrawn around the loop of the needle-thread and the looper-thread is drawn throughthe last formed loop of needlethread. The tension on the threads during these movements tends to tighten the stitch. During each succeeding operation the same cycles will be performed to successively form double interlocking stitches between the needle-thread and the looper-thread, as illustrated in Fig. 19. The terminal 30 of each retainer 30 is shifted in a circular path to engage and deflect the looperthread to form a thread-triangle between the looper-eye 26 and the Work, for the needle, while the looper is at the left side of the needle, and is adapted to perform this function when the work is moved relatively to the needle in any direction in the plane of the worker transversely to the needle-strokes to adapt the machine for stitching different designs on the border. Each retainer also deflects the previously formed loop of needle-thread on the looper above the needle so it will be cleared by the needle during the succeeding stroke. In its travel in a circular path, each retainer crosses the needle path While the needle is retracted, remains effective While its terminal 30 is above the needle, and moves to the";right;and downwardly from the:looper so the looper and needle-threads will slip off the loop-.

"eri'du'ring the retraction of the needle. During the succeeding stroke of the needle through the.

work, the retainer-arm 30 passes under the needl'e and'to the left of the looper to become effective durin the succeeding withdrawal of the needle from the work.

" In stitching of designs whichinvolve lateral sage:of. the needle during its next succeeding stroke In consequence, it is necessary that the retainers 30 be operated "to holdthe looperthread-to produce thethread-tria'ngle. For this purpose, the retainers are operated in a circular path to move the upper portion ofthe threadtriangle to the right a sufiicient distance to compensate for the movement of the work to the left and to-form; at all times, a thread-triangl of suihcient width-for the passage of the needle into it; -Between passes of the needles through the work thefeed-rolls 23, 24 are operated to advance thework and the work-carriageis operated laterally. according to the shape of cam "IL' By means of cams of difierent shapes and variations of-the'length of the feed-strokes of rolls 23,24, the design of the stitching produced by the stitching mechanism may be varied within a widerange. i 1

Theinvention exemplifies. a border stitching machine which is adapted for stitching various designs in the borderwhich produces a double lock stitch by a looper-type of mechanism, as distinguished from the shuttle type. This looper-type renders reloading of the shuttles unnecessary'and expedites the work. The retainers make it possible to shift the work in difierent di rections relatively to the needle and looper be-, tween the stitches to insure the passage of the needle'through the thread-triangle for the succeeding double lock stitches. This makes it possible to use the looper-type of stitching mechanism toproduce difierent designs of stitching. The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set'forth, since these may be'modified within the scope of the appended claims; without departing from the spirit and. scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what we 7 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patient is:

1. In a multiple needle sewing machine, the

combination of a' bed for the work, a plurality of stitching mechanisms each comprising a reciprocating needle and a, thread-carrying looper mounted to swing into and. out of a loop of needle-thread on the needle and for reciprocating movement from one'side to the other of the needle, mechanism for relatively and conjointly moving the stitching mechanism and the work in different directions .to produce. an. ornamental design of stitching, retainer devices associated with the loopers, respectively, and movable ina plane between the work and the looper and substantially parallel to the plane of the work, and mechanism for moving said devices so their operative ends will move in a completely circular path transversely of and across the needle path and to hold thread-triangles of looper-thread and engage, the needle thread during the relative movements of the work and the stitching mechanisms in opposite directions.

2. In a multiple needle sewing machine, the combination of a bed for. the work, a plurality of stitching mechanisms each comprising a reciprocating needle and a thread-carrying looper mounted to swing into and out of a loop of needle-thread on the needle and for reciprocating movement from one side to the other of the needle, mechanism for relatively and 'conjointly moving the stitching mechanism and the work in different directions to produce an ornamental design of stitching, retainer devices associated with the loopers, respectively, and movable in a plane between the work and the looper and substantially parallel to the plane of the work, a support for said devices and mechanism for moving the support for said devices so their operative ends will move in a completelycircular path and transversely of and across the needle path and to hold thread-triangles of looper-thread so as to form a double lock stitch during the relative movements of the work and the stitching mechanisms in opposite directions.

I-IAROLD-KIBITZ. ADOLPH C. SUCHY. JOSEPH'W. DROLL. 

